The King's Cursed Bride

The Enemy Among Us

"And you're relatives, you say?"

Mera ran her hands through her already rumpled bun. "Yes. Please, please allow us in. Our friend is bleeding badly. He's going to die, and you're just–just standing there asking us questions."

The man turned and talked to another man, taking the stench of smoke and sweat with him. Mera buried her face in her hands. Carissa glanced back at the clustered line of people behind them. Thankfully, they had been able to cut to the front of the line, given that Tian's life was in danger.

She stroked the horse's neck, its sweat coating her palm. It was still panting from its ride to the city. Even now, with Tian slung over the saddle, it couldn't fully rest.

The men nodded to each other and waved them onward. Carissa caught one last glimpse of the gates as they passed through. They glistened and glittered like they'd been coated in black snow. Or finely ground shards of obsidian. She could easily believe such walls could rip one's skin off.

They entered the city, and the buildings seemed to swallow up the sky. Carissa had to tilt her head back to see the clouds. The houses were so close that the clatter of horse hooves echoed and crashed like cannon fire. Mera pulled on Carissa's hand so hard that she nearly wrenched her arm out of socket.

"Hurry! I know of a healer who lives this way."

Carissa handed the lead rope to Mera. "You lead the horse, and I'll make sure Tian doesn't fall off."

Mera wound the rope around her hand and began jogging through the streets. Carissa jogged beside the horse, keeping a hand on Tian's back. A few people stared at them as she and Mera brushed by. Most kept their gazes fixed forward, neither their expressions nor their eyes revealing any signs of interest.

One man was only made noticeable by his reaction: he jerked to a halt, his gaze snapping to them.

Carissa glanced at him. Her heart nearly stopped.

Brone. It was him. From the scar on his jaw to the dark glint in his eyes.

"Carissa!"

This man was responsible for the slaughter of an entire caravan. And the murder of her husband.

"Carissa!"

Carissa spun around. Somehow she was no longer steadying Tian but standing several feet away from the horse.

Mera was clenching the lead rope, her fingers curled tightly. "Hurry! Tian is dying."

Carissa glanced over her shoulder. Brone was gone. For a brief moment, she was tempted to give Mera the tongue lashing she deserved. She shoved the urge down and resumed her place beside the horse. Mera likely hadn't seen Brone. And to be fair, Tian was dying. Elon would value the saving of someone's life over the taking of someone else's.

A few minutes later—during which, Carissa had discreetly been scanning the faces of people they passed—they arrived in front of a three-story stone building. Mera rapped twice, and a wizened woman opened the door.

"Whatever you're selling—oh! Mera, wasn't it?"

Mera nodded and gestured to Tian. "Can you help him?"

She squinted her eyes, adjusted her monocle. "Eh, I'll see what I can do. No promises."

"Whatever I need to pay—"

"We'll talk about payment when we're through. Now, help me bring this young man in here."

Carissa and Mera maneuvered Tian off the horse and slung his arms over their shoulders before dragging him inside. The woman pointed to a cot, which was ominously stained in some areas, and they laid Tian down.

As the woman bustled about, Carissa took a deep smell of the herbs and was nearly knocked back to another time and another place. Viltus' house had always smelled like herbs. This was the second time she'd thought of him. Were he and Elisa still all right? Were they married? Or was it too soon?

Carissa propped her hip against the wall and ran her fingers through her gnarled hair. Too soon. She couldn't even remember how many days or weeks had passed since she'd seen them.

But her greatest concerned right now wasn't Viltus and Elisa. It was Brone. What was he doing in the Capital? Was he in league with the Reaper King? Now that he'd recognized her—and that she was alive—would he lead another army of Reapers to her?

A loud thud above them followed by yelling made her reach for her dagger.

The old woman flapped her hands. "Oh, don't mind them. Just noisy upstairs neighbors is all. They like dancing and drinking around this time. Lots of drinking." The woman seemed to pull a wickedly sharp dagger from thin air before slicing off Tian's shirt. "Oh, you've got quite a looker here, don't you?"

Mera colored, and Carissa rolled her eyes. Just because Tian and Ryther had risked their lives for them didn't mean that they were good men. It could all be a façade to disguise their true intentions. But a quick glance at Tian's pale face and colorless lips made her think otherwise.

As the woman began cleaning his wounds and applying salve, Mera seated herself at Tian's side, her hand wrapping around his. Her devotions was sweet but naïve. She'd known this man for all of one day.

But she'd married Elon when she'd scarcely known him for an hour.

Carissa strode toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Mera asked.

"I'm going to make sure Ryther made it through the gates." And to look for Brone along the way.

"When will you return?"

"Before nightfall." Carissa checked that all her daggers were well-concealed before offering Mera a nod. "I hope he does better, Mera. I truly do. But be careful not to become too emotionally involved."

Carissa could see by the way Mera's expression closed that her message had not been well-received. But she'd done all she could to warn Mera. Whatever happened from here between Mera and Tian was no longer her responsibility.

***

Author's Note: I am so, so, so sorry about the super late update. I had this chapter typed up yesterday, and I meant to post it yesterday, but somehow it slipped my mind. And just so you know, this is not the last chapter. I'm going to combine chapters like I did before and make room for new chapters. Not quite ready to end it, but I'm getting there.

And the sneak peek is up. :)